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Daily Archives: November 3, 2008

Greg Robinson was three questions into Monday’s Big East media teleconference before a New Jersey reporter asked the Syracuse coach whether he thinks Rutgers will use his “one-hit wonder” statement as motivation in Saturday’s meeting at Rutgers Stadium.

First, Robinson offered a correction. “It wasn’t a one-hit; that wasn’t the line,” Syracuse’s fourth-year skipper said before adding bluntly, “They’re going to be motivated to play us, I think, one way or the other.”

On the eve of his team’s encounter with Rutgers last October, Robinson made this statement to play-by-play announcer Dave Sims in the Big East Game of the Week production meeting that he later said he thought was off-the-record:

“We got five (New Jersey recruits) in one year. We’ll recruit their tails off. They’re (Rutgers) a one-year wonder. Do I like them? No. This recruiting thing? You wait and see.”

ESPN flashed the quote during the telecast of Rutgers’ 38-14 win at the Carrier Dome, to go along with replays of a less-than-friendly pregame handshake between Robinson and Rutgers coach Greg Schiano.

Asked if he wanted to clarify his statement Monday, Robinson said, “That whole thing was really an unfortunate situation. I think it was somewhat construed but those things happen.”

As for Schiano, Rutgers’ coach said Monday he hasn’t given any thought to Robinson’s comments.

“I think it’s probably taken out of context,” Schiano said. “Greg’s a good guy. There’s nothing to it, really.”

“I haven’t given it a lot of thought. Knowing what the schedule is in the beginning of the season you just prepare for it. The things we were able to accomplish, I think we had some good fundamental work where you’re not preparing for an opponent. Not that we had a lot of guys out, but it gave us an opportunity for some of the guys that were playing with bumps and bruises to get extra treatment. Hopefully, that means they will be feeling better going into the game on Saturday.”

ON THE BIG EAST RACE“You never know in this league. Anything can happen on any week. It’s been that way all year. I don’t anticipate it changing.”

ON SYRACUSE IMPROVING FROM WEEK-TO-WEEK“I do talk about getting better every week and I think they’ve done a good job of that. Again, now because we’re getting ready for (Syracuse), I’ve watched them consecutively in games. I think the offensive line — they’ve got a new offensive coordinator this year — you can see the cumulative repetitions of what they’re doing they’re getting better and better and better now. He just started last spring, so there’s really not that much cumulative reps built up, but as the season goes on there are. They’re not a team that’s trying to trick you very much. They’re running the football downhill at you and you can see that their whole offensive
football team is getting more and more comfortable. They’ve changed up a few things actually defensively. Not big changes, but a couple of subtle things, which leaves you in a spot where you’re not sure really what you’re going to get. So that’s a little bit of an unknown. And in the kicking game their placekicker is very good. Their punter is good. They have a very solid kicking game. So it’s going to be a great challenge.”

“It seems like every week we play a big-time running back,” Tverdov said. “This week is really no different. He’s just someone we’re going to have to focus on.”

For the fourth time in five games Rutgers will be matched up against one of the elite running backs in the Big East when Brinkley arrives at Rutgers Stadium looking to extend his string of 100-yard games to six.

“He’s probably a combination of all of the top backs in our league,” Schiano said of Brinkley, a senior from Philadelphia. “He really is running with confidence and an understanding of where he wants to go. There’s not any indecision. He’s made people miss. He’s playing at a high level.”

That Brinkley set a single-season, school-record with his fifth consecutive 100-yard game in the Orange’s 28-21 win over Louisville last Saturday is no small feat considering the history of great Syracuse running backs, including Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Floyd Little, Larry Csonka and Joe Morris.

“I think it’s real special,” Syracuse coach Greg Robinson said. “It’s been done five times in a row by Joe Morris, but he had done (over two) seasons. All in one season, this is the first time, and when you think about all the different running backs that have come through this program, it’s quite a feat.”

With his team in the midst of a two-game winning streak that’s kept its postseason chances alive, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano spent a good portion of his weekly press conference Monday downplaying the renewed excitement around his team.

“To be frank, there’s not a great difference,” Schiano said. “This has been a great group all along. I think they’re just wanting to play games and do what they work so hard to do.”

“Certainly there’s a difference. It’s just a better feeling around the building when you’re winning,” he said. “But as far as work-ethic and preparation goes, our guys have been competing against themselves each week to out-prepare themselves. That’s what I mean by things haven’t really changed.”

Last year, with loads of experience, it made sense for the Rutgers women’s basketball team to play an early schedule that was challenging. Of course, with conference teams like Connecticut, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pitt, Marquette, Syracuse and DePaul, the schedule is going to be tough already. But this year, despite five freshmen – two of whom will see a ton of time – the season will be a much bigger challenge. And if you looked at the Top 25 released by the Associated Press this week, you see that Rutgers’ 28-game schedule is as tough as ever. Ready or not, young or not, here comes another category 5.

They will face No. 1 Connecticut twice, play at No. 2 Stanford, at No. 3 Maryland, at No. 9 Cal, home to No. 7 Tennessee, at No. 10 Louisville, and at No. 16 Notre Dame. That’s eight games against Top 20 teams. Add home games against No. 26 Pitt, No. 30 Marquette and No. 32 Georgia, then road games against No. 34 Syracuse and No. 35 DePaul, and you have 13 opponents currently ranked in the top 35. That’s basically half their schedule. Throw in games against Temple, George Washington and West Virginia and you have if nothing else a team that will be quite prepared for the opening round of the NCAA Tournament in Piscataway March 21 and 23.

I’m not sure that Rutgers’ preseason No. 5 rank is accurate, but clearly the potential is there with offensive threats in center Kia Vaughn, guard Epiphanny Prince, a physically stronger team than a year ago, a deeper team than a year ago and a more pressing defense than a year ago. We’ll know a lot more about this team by the first week of December: Saint Joseph’s, Princeton, Cal, Stanford, Temple and Georgia. Oh boy.

Prospects are able to sign letters of intent beginning Wednesday. Per a new rule last season, college football programs are able to accept National Letters of Intent (NLIs) during an early signing period for three days in December. These NLIs are a binding commitment between school and individual. In 2018, this period begins Wednesday December […]

The former Scarlet Knight rushed for over 100 yards for the third time in his past five games Gus Edwards has paved an unlikely path from undrafted free agent to making the practice squad to becoming the starting running back for the Baltimore Ravens, all since this past April. After having a productive final season […]